Single Mother Looking For a Way To Make Extra Income

Single Mother Looking For a Way To Make Extra Income - My Small Business Story

by Natalie

My name is Natalie Thompson. I am a single mother who is always looking for a way to make extra income. I studied Electrical Engineering in College and graduated in 2006, so I am a technically inclined person. I became really interested in web design and development, which is somewhat different than what I studied.

First, I developed the interest and then I started researching the technology online. I investigated how some model websites like CNN.com are created. Next, I bought a lot of web design books and I started a little at a time. Learning on my own was very challenging, because I have the responsibility of my child as well as my full time job.
I realized though, than in order to have the life I dreamed of, that I needed to get into business for myself and leave the Corporate world. After reading a few books on the basic building blocks of websites, I started to get into more advanced technologies. I wanted to start my own web development company with little financial impact as possible, and I was very motivated to learn on that account.

I realized though, that to run a successful web design business I needed to have the skill set of a wide range of technologies, and I needed to understand how to customize any idea. This was by far the hardest part because there was so much to learn. For me, I liked the challenge because I really enjoyed learning about the different aspects of web development.
After becoming somewhat confident, I applied for a simple job on Odesk.com.

I started small, and increased my challenge until I am fully capable of creating a complex web site. In the end, I am a lot more confident as my financial situation has improved.

My advice to anyone who wants to start their own business, whether it is web development related or not is to first develop the passion and love for the business. If not, then there will be a lack of motivation and you will just be miserable. Also, be sure to create a plan with the entire criterion you need to become a success and take it one step at a time.